In Order to Thrive
by shadowblade-tara
Summary: The arrival of a new agent puts a strain on Michael and Kitt's link to each other. A missing person's case doesn't help, and it's not long before things spiral out of control. Sequel to Anam Cara.
1. Chapter 1

Knight Rider © Glenn A. Larson. The neurolink belongs to Macx and is being borrowed for the purposes of this storyline.

**chapter one**

Devon watched from the mansion as Michael washed the grime and dust from Kitt's glossy paint job in the front lawn – or rather, as he tried to. It was very difficult to concentrate on a probable new recruit when his two best agents were having a water fight masquerading as a bath. Michael was brandishing the hose as he approached Kitt, who was steadily backing away. Michael lunged, and Kitt squirted him with the windshield wiping fluid. The FLAG driver's burst of laughter easily reached Devon's ears, as well as his partner's electronic laughter.

Whoever figured that Kitt could laugh?

"Mr. Miles?"

Devon glanced over his shoulder. "I'm listening, Ms. Phillips."

The young woman nodded. "I was saying, I would love the chance to prove myself with the Foundation. The local police force didn't do much for me, I'm afraid. I think I could be a real asset to your team." She was so eager, and so very young. Younger even than Michael was when he first joined the Foundation. Devon wasn't sure what to make of the red-haired woman. She hadn't told him why she wanted to join so badly, or even how she had heard about the Foundation. Most local law enforcement agencies didn't even know they existed, unless they'd had personal experience with Michael and Kitt. Then they never forgot about those two.

Before Devon could respond, Michael walked into the office. He had shed his leather jacket before trying to wash Kitt, which was probably a good thing. The man was soaked head to toe, and soap bubbles were currently trying to stain his shirt pretty colors. Devon gave him a look. "Who got the bath?" he demanded with a grin.

Michael laughed. "I'm pretty sure it's a tie. On the plus side, he's clean. On the down side, I'm not." He flashed Devon a grin. "I'm going to go get cleaned up. See you in a few."

"Michael." The FLAG driver turned around. Devon motioned towards the young woman. It was a mark of just how close Kitt and Michael were that Michael didn't even see the beauty standing by Devon's desk. "This is Lauren Philips. She's a trainee – I want her to join you and Kitt on your next mission. If she does well, we'll find a place for her here." The implication was clear. Lauren was to train with them, but she wouldn't become a new partner. They had tried that with RC3, and he hadn't lasted very long.

The FLAG driver nodded. "Sure thing, Devon." With that he left the room.

Lauren turned to Devon. "If I do well on the mission, would you place me with Kitt and Michael?" she asked.

"No." Devon said shortly. "Kitt and Michael don't do well with other people on their team." He picked up a folder and handed it to her. "I need you to fill out everything in here, and then I'll have to run a background check on you. I apologize ahead of time, but we've had too many people turn traitor on us recently." Loren nodded.

"I understand. I'll get right on it."

/---/

Michael was back in the garage twenty minutes later, Kitt and Bonnie waiting for him. Smugness radiated from Kitt in waves. "A tie, Michael?" he teased. Michael threw his towel at the Trans-Am, laughing.

"Well, I couldn't tell Devon that I admitted defeat to a car, now could I?" he shot back with a grin. "We were in the presence of company."

"I noticed." Kitt said, suddenly serious. "Devon's really going to assign us a partner?"

"Only temporarily." Michael assured him. "Trust me, I don't want anyone else on our team anymore than you do."

Bonnie shook her head. "I don't like the girl." she muttered from underneath Kitt's hood. "I don't understand how she found out about us. I mean, it's not like we put out 'help wanted' ads."

Michael chuckled. "Can you imagine how that would go?" he wondered. "Wanted – someone with nerves of steel and can work with a smart-ass car."

/Look who's talking./ Kitt pointed out dryly. Michael gave him an innocent look. /Sarcasm is so becoming on you, honestly./ Michael rolled his eyes.

/I don't think you mean that as a compliment any more than I ever do./ he said dryly.

Kitt laughed at him. Bonnie rolled out from underneath Kitt's hood and wiped her hands off on an oil rag, choosing to ignore Michael's remark. "Well, he's ready to go as soon as Devon fills everyone in on the job." She glanced at the door, waiting for Devon and Loren to enter. "I wonder if she knows about Kitt."

Michael shook his head. "I don't think so. I intend on keeping it that way too." he said darkly.

Bonnie nodded. "I understand."

So did Kitt. Lately, Michael had taken to asking Kitt to keep a low profile when they were around others. As far as most of the people they worked with in the past year were concerned, the black Trans-Am was a wonder of modern technology, and not a miracle of life. Kitt understood. If they didn't know what was there, they wouldn't be tempted to make off with him. He understood, and he sympathized.

He reached out to Michael, wrapping his essence around his partner's. It was as close to a hug as Kitt was capable of giving. And Michael returned it in full.

"So, when is Devon supposed to be filling us in on this new case?" Michael asked Bonnie.

"Any minute now." Bonnie assured him. "Any minute now."


	2. Chapter 2

**chapter two**

Devon walked into the garage, followed by Lauren Phillips. Bonnie's eyes narrowed as she turned back to the bank of computers. She didn't like the red-haired woman, and it had nothing to do with how pretty the girl was for once. In all honestly, Michael hadn't even flirted with her since the neurolink had been activated. It was more than what they expected to happen. Sometimes it bothered Bonnie, just how far they could drift from her, but they never did it very often.

"This is your new assignment." Devon handed Michael a folder. The FLAG driver was perched on Kitt's hood, the engine thrumming in contentment underneath him. He smiled as he rested one hand on the hood as he looked over the file. He glanced up at Devon.

"A missing persons case?" he asked.

"The cops have had no luck. They want us to have a shot at it." He motioned to the folder. "That little girl has been missing for four weeks."

Michael flinched. "Devon, you do realize if I find this girl, it's going to be in a shallow grave at this point." he pointed out. "I hate cases like this."

"There's good reason to believe the girl's still alive." Devon assured him. "They think her father took her, but the man is a convict and unstable. He was arrested for beating his wife. When she divorced him, he demanded visitation rights. She refused, and five weeks later the girl was taken from her home." He shook her head. "Regardless why he took her, we still have to find her."

/Bonnie uploaded all the information on the case into my mainframe./ Kitt told him gently. /But, Michael, I don't think our idea is going to work./

/Why not?/ Michael wondered.

/She'll be with us for how long? Sooner or later, we'll slip up, or she'll find it out on her own./

Kitt had a point. Michael sighed. "All right." He glanced at Lauren. "You've been awfully quiet."

"I'm wondering when you're partner is going to arrive." she said sheepishly. "Or were we going to meet him somewhere else and brief him on the way?"

/She's observant./ Michael muttered darkly. "My partner is already here." he said, handing the folder back to Devon and leaning on the hood. "Kitt, say hello to Lauren."

"Hello, Miss Phillips." Kitt said blandly. Lauren's eyes widened as the color drained from her face. Bonnie had to cough to cover up her laugh.

Michael's eyes glittered with amusement. "What? You've never heard of a talking car? He's a smart-aleck, too, if you wanted to know."

"What is it?" Lauren hesitantly walked up to the Trans-Am, trailing her fingers across the paint job. Michael could feel Kitt's revulsion race down his spine. He wasn't too pleased with her himself, but for a different reason. "I mean, it sounds human enough, but it's a car. Right?" She looked over at Bonnie, but it was Michael who answered.

"_He_ is an AI." he said sharply. "He's also my friend and my partner, and I'd appreciate it if you'd show him at least a little bit of respect."

Lauren blinked slowly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Knight." she murmured, pulling away from the car.

/Bonnie has a 'my hero' look on her face./ Kitt informed him, his words shaking with barely concealed laughter. Michael couldn't hide a smirk.

/She's just glad I said what she wanted to./ he chuckled. "Well, come on Loren. Let's get going before this guy gets too much of a head start on us." He slid off the hood and walked over to the driver's side. Kitt opened the door for him and he sat down. Lauren nodded enthusiastically and practically bounced over to the passenger's side. She hesitated a moment, then attempted to open the door.

"Um, Mr. Knight? It's locked." she said hesitantly.

Michael rolled his eyes. "I told you Kitt has a sense of humor." he said. "Come on, pal, open the door."

"Why?" Kitt demanded. "She insulted me."

Michael reached out and pressed his hand against the dash. /It's all right, Kitt. The sooner we get this done, the sooner she's out of our hair./ "Please?"

"Oh, all right." Kitt unlocked the door. Lauren climbed inside. /Thank you./

/For what?/ Kitt gave him a mental image of what usually happened whenever a pretty tail walked by. Michael grimaced. /I think I should be apologizing, not you thanking me./

/There's no need./ Kitt assured him. /I'm just glad it's not happening again. I don't trust her./

/Me neither, pal./ He waited until Kitt activated the passive laser restraint system before backing out of the garage. No – as attractive as Lauren was, the past few months had taught him to be cautious. He had lost Kitt once. He had been through the agony of thinking there was nothing he could do, that Kitt was already gone. He could not do it again, and he would not put Kitt through that again.

As soon as Michael, Kitt, and Lauren were gone, Devon turned to Bonnie. "I want you to run a full background check on Lauren Phillips." he instructed. "I want to know everything there is to know about her, from the time she was born until she found out about the Foundation."

Bonnie nodded. "You got it."


	3. Chapter 3

**chapter three**

"What does Kitt stand for?"

"It doesn't stand for anything. It's his name."

"What kind of music do you like?"

"Rock."

"What about movies?"

It had been like that for the past three hours. Lauren had decided to play twenty questions with the partners, mostly focusing on Michael. The occasional question about Kitt was thrown in, and every time his name was mentioned he could feel his partner's anger spike. Michael was irritated enough with the constant line of questions. Lauren wasn't being subtle in her interest, and Kitt knew all too well where this was going. She might as well ask him to bed, but it seemed like she was trying to build up some sort of relationship. The shyness that was present with Devon and Bonnie was completely gone now, and she was like a child in a candy store. Michael's grip was tight enough around the wheel to turn his knuckles white.

"Why do you want to know?" he demanded.

Lauren shrank back as if Michael had hit her. Her eyes were wide as she spoke, stuttering a little. "I – I'm sorry, I-I guess I was just c-curious."

Kitt wasn't sure which was aggravating his partner more – the constant stream of questions or Lauren's mood swings. He reached out to Michael, trying to calm him, and found a barrier.

They learned how to block each other pretty early on. The first time it happened Michael had lost his balance and fell down the stairs, aggravating his surgical wounds. He had been trying to spare Kitt the pain. The barrier hadn't lasted long. The sudden absence of each other's presence had scared them worse than Michael's pain. They had promised never to do it again. Michael wasn't deliberately trying to keep him out – if he was, the barrier would be much thicker. As it was, Kitt simply hovered just inside Michael's mind, his presence known but not overpowering.

Michael sighed and reached out to him. /I'm all right, Kitt./

/I know./ Kitt reached out and touched him, sending silent reassurances through the link. Michael was all right. But that didn't mean he couldn't use a dose of warm fuzzies. Slowly, he felt Michael's grip on the steering wheel relax.

Now, if he could just convince Lauren to shut up, everything would be fine.

Something flickered through the link from Michael just before his foot pressed down on the accelerator. Kitt was picking up speed now, moving past the reasonably safe sixty they had been doing and moving more around one-twenty. It took Lauren a minute to realize what was happening, but only a minute. "Holy crap! Is it really necessary to go this fast?"

Kitt chuckled. "Oh, he goes faster than this all the time." he assured the woman, and only Michael could have caught the slight mocking tone in his partner's voice. With a warning to Michael, Kitt took control of the car and took off like a rocket. Lauren screamed in terror and covered her eyes while Michael whooped in glee like a little child on a rollercoaster. Kitt kept going as fast as he dared and only started to slow down when traffic got a bit heavy. He was expecting Michael's disappointment, which came readily enough. What he wasn't expecting was Lauren's reaction.

"You know, once you get over the initial shock, that's kinda fun." she said, her eyes still wide. "How did you do that?"

"I didn't." Michael chuckled. "That was all Kitt. But don't say too much about it – you'll give him a fat head."

"Who was it who told me that it's not bragging if you can do it?" Kitt shot back. Michael laughed and lightly smacked the steering wheel. "You know you can't win that one." It was amazing how much smugness could be packed into one simple sentence.

"It's not fair to start using my own insults against me." Michael pointed out.

Kitt didn't hesitate. "No, but I'm not above a little plagiarism."

"Somehow, I think I just missed an inside joke." Lauren said uncertainly.

Michael grinned, but there was no humor in his voice when he spoke. "Heaven help you if you ever get close enough to learn our jokes."

/----/

Lauren Phillips watched as Michael negotiated with the local cops. They still wanted a slice of the action, or so they said. What Lauren gathered was that the locals wanted the credit, but no part in the actual work. She shook her head. It was cops like that that gave the rest a bad name. Her own unit had not been so lazy.

Her own unit . . . just the thought made her insides clench. She only hoped she could survive long enough to get back to her own unit. That had been the deal – go in, get information, and she would be set for life. Enough money that she could take care of her little brother's medical bills, that she wouldn't have to worry about if her paycheck was going to cover his meds and her food bill. It was a good offer and she had done what any good cop would never have done.

She took the job without getting all the information.

A sigh escaped her and she glanced from Michael to the Trans-Am. Kitt, which didn't stand for anything. At first she hadn't believed the rumors. She had thought that Kitt was a human partner, which would have made more sense. Honestly, what was Wilton Knight thinking when he created something like that? Her lip curled in distaste.

She had thought to move in and make Michael accept her, but that was going to be harder than she thought. She didn't know how to act around him, what he wanted in a woman, and now she was beginning to suspect the truth.

Michael didn't want a woman. If anything – and this was truly ridiculous – he valued his partnership with Kitt more than any other relationship.

Lauren had her work cut out for her. This was not going to be easy.

Michael walked up to her, running his hand through his hair. He was handsome in a way that made it hard to breathe. "So what do the locals want?" she asked.

The FLAG driver shook his head. "Ah, the usual crap. All credit, no work, yadda yadda yadda. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to deal with them. No offense." It was an afterthought, but it warmed her heart.

"None taken." she said with a smile.

For a moment, his eyes blanked as if he was thinking about something else. Then he nodded. "Come on. I know where we can start looking."


	4. Chapter 4

**chapter four**

Michael waited inside Kitt while Lauren made a pit stop at a local gas station. With a sigh, he leaned back in his seat, resting his head against the leather. He could feel an odd mix of contentment and worry filtering through the link from Kitt, and automatically he pressed his hand against the dash. /What's wrong?/

Kitt chuckled. "You enjoy that particular parlor trick, don't you?" he teased. Michael grinned.

"Actually, yes." he conceded. "And you're avoiding the question, which isn't like you at all." Kitt hesitated, and Michael continued to speak. "Come on, pal. You know you can tell me anything. Anything at all." They had been through too much together to not be able to tell each other everything. Michael figured Kitt knew that. He also knew Kitt had a hard time trusting his own newly developing instinct. He trusted Michael's, but computers weren't supposed to have instincts.

Kitt hesitated a moment longer, struggling with the words. "I – I don't like that woman." he admitted finally. Michael nodded.

"None of us really do. Personally, I really don't think she's cut out for this kind of work, but I didn't think I was either at the beginning." he said. "So what is it you don't like about her?"

Instead of responding with words, Kitt sent him images. Michael's eyes widened in shock as he saw the past few conversations with Lauren through Kitt's eyes, as well as feel Kitt's reaction to them. It made sense, if Michael thought about it. After all, every time Michael hooked up with a girl, Kitt usually wound up getting left behind. It made sense that Kitt would be jealous of the attention Lauren was demanding, and even scared that she just might get it. He was afraid he was going to lose his partner, and Michael couldn't blame him for that. He gently stroked the dash.

"It's not going to happen, Kitt." he whispered. "I won't do that to you again." A sudden thought occurred to him. "Okay, so who would you not mind me being with?"

"Bonnie."

Michael choked. "Say what?"

Kitt was laughing at him – he knew it. "Bonnie appreciates both of us." he pointed out reasonably. "She would be the only one who would truly understand anything about our relationship."

"You have a point, but I only tell you that reluctantly." Michael groused. This time Kitt really did laugh at him, and Michael couldn't help but chuckle. "Seriously though – you wouldn't mind me dating Bonnie?"

"No." Kitt assured him. "It would be preferable to the other women you've dated."

"And if something went wrong and we broke up?" Michael pointed out.

"Nothing would go wrong." Kitt said with all the confidence an AI had. Michael shook his head – he didn't even _want_ to know where Kitt was getting that idea from. He watched as Lauren left the gas station, a cell phone glued to one ear. He shook his head.

"Sad."

"Like you're one to talk. You have a cell phone in your head."

Michael made it a point to glare at the dash, for all the good it did him. "I just want to get this done and over with." he grumbled. "Out of all the times Devon could have gotten us an extra partner, why now?"

"He tried before with RC." Kitt pointed out. "I never did find out why he left."

"Because it pissed him off that I trusted a mechanical partner more than him." Michael said simply.

It took Kitt a moment to process that. "Say what?"

"Devon was getting frustrated that I was basically using RC as backup when we had no one else." Michael explained. "He wanted RC to be more fully involved in FLAG, especially since he helped rebuild you. We had an argument about it – I basically said that I didn't feel safe with any human guarding my back anymore and that was his fault for pairing me up with you." He flashed Kitt a smile, and his partner could feel his amusement through their link. "RC overheard. At least, I'm assuming he did – he left the next day."

"That would explain why he didn't say good-bye." Kitt mused, but there was no hurt in his voice. "Hey – she's finally off the phone."

"Finally." Michael muttered. "Any idea who she was talking to?"

"Unlisted number, and unfortunately there's too much ambient noise for me to tell you right now what the conversation was about. Give me a few days and I'll have the audio cleared up."

"And people wonder why I like you." It was a gentle tease, and Kitt took it as such. There was no time for a retort – Lauren quickly opened the passenger door and slid inside. It took all of Kitt's self-control to not eject her immediately. He didn't want her there, inside where his MBS couldn't protect Michael. It unnerved him. Lauren smiled at him.

"So, where to?" she asked, a little out of breath. Michael didn't need Kitt to tell him her last phone call had been stressful. He could hear it in her voice.

"Having problems?" he asked.

Lauren shrugged. "Oh, it was just a wrong number. I don't know someone named Renee – why would they want me to take a message for her?" She rolled her eyes. "Idiot telemarketers. Third time this week too."

Michael chuckled. "Stubborn fools, aren't they?"

Kitt couldn't help his trepidation. Lauren was trying to establish a relationship with Michael, maybe even win his trust. Was it wrong for Kitt to doubt her motives? Was it selfish for him to want Michael to stay with only him, even though a woman might be good for him? Probably, but that didn't stop the need to keep Michael to himself. He had the sinking feeling that somehow, Lauren was going to accomplish her goal, no matter how many times Michael said it wouldn't happen.

He couldn't stop the hurt, and he couldn't keep it from his driver. Michael reached through the link, trying to reassure him. Kitt accepted the warmth and put the thoughts from his processor. For now.


	5. Chapter 5

**chapter five**

Kitt waited in the driveway while Michael and Lauren went inside the whitewashed one-story house to talk to the missing girl's mother. Michael knocked on the door, and a harried woman in her thirties with soft brown hair and huge blue eyes answered. "Mrs. Adams?" he asked politely.

"Miss." she corrected gently. "Who are you?"

"I'm Michael Knight – I work for the Foundation of Law and Government." he said with a charming smile. "This is Lauren Phillips. We're here to find your daughter."

The door opened a little farther. Now Michael could see a six year old girl standing beside her mother who looked an _awful_ lot like the girl he was looking for. They had the same curly blond hair and their mother's expressive blue eyes. Miss Adams smiled faintly. "This is Ashley, Mandy's twin." she explalined. "The cops did a double-take too when they saw her. Please, come in." She stepped back and allowed the two agents to walk inside.

For a brief moment, Michael felt a twinge of unease. He would have preferred to have this interview outside, where Kitt could keep a better eye on them. It wasn't so much that he expected Lauren to jump him at the first opportunity (in fact, he was almost starting to like her) or Miss Marissa Adams to attack him, things just had a knack for going wrong at the worst possible time. A smile touched his face as he felt Kitt touch him, reassuring him without saying a word. That simple message, that Kitt was always there, was all Michael needed. He sent his own affection back through the link, and he could feel that Kitt was pleased.

It was a good thing they had gotten used to accommodating the needs of the bond to the needs of the outside world. Michael didn't miss a beat as he sat down on the rickety couch beside Lauren. Apparently, Mr. Adams had taken as much as he could when she left him.

"The local police said they believed your husband took Mandy?" he asked gently. Miss Adams nodded.

"He sued for custody of the girls and lost." she admitted sourly. "A few weeks later Mandy vanished. The girls were racing on their way home from school, and Mandy fell behind. When Ashley turned around, she was gone."

Lauren tilted her head to the side, considering. Michael's eyes narrowed. That sounded more like a professional job to him. After all, if it was the father, why didn't he take Ashley with him as well?

Ashley looked up at her mother from the floor where she was coloring. "Daddy didn't take Mandy, Momma." she said quietly.

Lauren leaned forward. "How do you know that, sweetie?"

"Mandy told me." Ashley put a hand to her forehead. "In here. She tells me a lot of things."

Now she had Michael's attention. "Like what?"

"She says they don't let her out of her room, but they bring her food." Ashley said simply. "She told me they're looking for something, but she doesn't know what. There's a woman there who wants to hurt her, but the big man won't let her." She looked up at Michael, tears in her eyes. "The cops don't believe me."

Slowly, Michael nodded. "I do."

Ashley nodded with a small smile. "Thank you."

Lauren gave Michael a look, but Miss Adams was silently crying. "She tried so hard to tell the cops that, and none of them – not one – " She looked at Michael, her eyes saying what she couldn't force out. Michael stood and wrapped his arms around the distraught woman.

"Ashley," he asked quietly, "did Mandy ever tell you where she was being held?"

"She said it was dark." Ashley replied immediately. "She doesn't know, but it's a big place. Like the mall big."

Michael nodded. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

/---/

Back in the Trans-Am, Lauren turned to Michael with a look of utter disbelief. "Don't tell me you believe in that crap." she warned. "It'll ruin my opinion of you."

Michael gave her a look. "How so?"

"It's ridiculous! Telepathy? It doesn't happen. You're the one who works for a technologically advanced company. I figured you'd have some knowledge of the way things work. It's superstition, nothing more." Lauren spat.

"Actually, mental connections between twins is not uncommon." Kitt piped up. "Although something as definite as telepathy is rare, twins have been known to have other connections. For example, there was a case of twins who could tell exactly where the other was and if they were hurt."

"Bull, Kitt." Lauren said breezily. "Stories made up by people who are too stupid to understand the real world." She returned her focus to Michael. "So – do you really believe her?"

Michael didn't answer her. /You're awfully defensive of the twins./ he pointed out to Kitt, amusement thick through the bond. Kitt laughed.

/Honestly, Michael, what do you think we are doing?/ he pointed out. /It's not technology, but the human brain acts much the same way a CPU does. If FLAG can use a few chips to connect us together, when we aren't even the same species, I don't think it's too far-fetched that twins, who shared a womb, can have the same connection. Rare, but not impossible./

/Improbable, then./ Michael said with a smile.

Kitt smiled back. /Exactly./

/So you understand why I believe her./

Kitt seemed to sigh. /Michael, I may not understand you, but I always respect you. Even if I do think you're an idiot./

Michael laughed aloud at that. Lauren gave him an odd look. "What's so funny?"

"Just imagining Devon's reaction when I tell him our best lead is a telepathic six year old girl." he said with a grin. "That'll be a sight to see, believe me."

Lauren smiled. "I would love to sit in on that one."

"You'll get your chance. That's exactly what I'm heading back to tell him now."

"Heaven help us all." Kitt murmured, amusement and affection thick in his voice.


	6. Chapter 6

**chapter six**

The look Devon was giving Michael was absolutely priceless, and since they were holding this meeting in the mobile unit so Kitt could see what was going on, Michael was having to deal with Kitt laughing hysterically in his head. It was Devon's patented "You don't honestly expect me to believe this?" look that managed to make the recipient feel about an inch tall. However, that had never worked on Michael, and he simply smiled at his boss. "Yeah, I know how it sounds."

"It sounds ridiculous." Devon muttered, leaning back in his chair. "Why are you so determined about this?"

Michael sighed and abruptly turned serious. "For one thing, Ashley thinks Mandy is still alive, and I'd definitely rather find her that way. For another, whoever took Mandy didn't take Ashley, and she didn't notice anything until it was too late. That's professional, not some random kidnapping. Everything that Ashley told me about what Mandy told her fits that. Devon, please." He leaned forward, bracing himself on the computer desk. "I need you to trust me on this."

"It's never a question of trust, my boy." Devon said quietly, and Michael wondered if he was the only one who understood the undertones in that simple statement. Devon sighed, and Michael leaned back, and the moment was broken. "Do you believe this is your best lead?"

"Yes."

"Then investigate it." Devon handed him a sheet of paper. "But don't forget the father as a potential suspect. There may be a reason why he only took one twin and not both."

Michael nodded. Bonnie grunted underneath Kitt's hood. "That should do it." she told the AI. "How does that feel?"

There was a pause while Kitt ran a self-diagnostic. "Perfect, Bonnie." he assured her. "I don't know what we'd do without you."

"Probably break down on the side of the road." Michael commented with a cheeky grin. "Then someone else would have to give us a tow instead of the other way around."

"That would be humiliating." Kitt protested.

"Yeah. Why do you think we like to keep Bonnie around?" Michael kissed Bonnie on the cheek and flashed her a smile. "Thanks, love." Bonnie rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling as they waited a few seconds for Lauren to climb in the passenger seat before taking off.

/You like her./ Kitt observed.

Michael seemed to shrug. /Yeah, but not the way you're thinking./

/Not yet, at least./ Kitt seemed confident on that fact, and Michael couldn't help but smile. /She'll accept this, Michael. You know she will./

/I know. And when she learns about it, then we'll talk. Right now, as things stand, she'd never understand, and I won't screw things up with her./

/You won't. I have faith./

/Odd coming from a computer./ Michael teased.

"So where are we going?" Lauren asked into the apparent silence. "Or are you in the habit of letting the rookies figure it out for themselves."

"Sorry." Michael said, and he actually meant it this time. "I was just thinking. I'm not used to having another partner, so just smack me if I start ignoring you." Lauren laughed, which successfully relieved the tension in the car. "We're going to check out the father while Kitt runs a check on all complexes large enough to run a small operation out of."

"Do you have any idea how many complexes like that exist?" Kitt demanded.

"When you get the list, I'll give you the restricting qualities." Michael assured him. Kitt grumbled something about being overworked under his breath, and Michael had to laugh at him. He turned to Lauren. "Did Devon tell you where the father lives?"

"That information is in the file." Lauren said, looking at the folder in confusion. "Didn't you read it?"

"No."

"Michael never reads the folder." Kitt snipped. "It makes it look like he actually does work."

"Hard work never hurt anyone, but why take a chance?" Michael shot back with a grin. He could feel Kitt's exasperated affection through the bond, and he sent back warmth and amusement. Glancing over at Lauren, he flashed her a smile. "So where does the father live?"

"Derek Adams lives about fifty miles away." she said. "We won't make it there in one day."

"Watch us." Michael started to accelerate, then changed his mind. "On second thought, taking our time with this can't hurt."

"What about the girl?"

"My gut is telling me her dad didn't take her." Michael said resolutely. "In fact, it's telling me he doesn't even know she's missing, at least not before the cops broke it to him." Kitt groaned.

"I hate your gut instincts." the AI muttered. "They're usually right."

/----/

They stayed in a hotel room that night. Or rather, Lauren stayed in the hotel room. Michael's leg was hurting too much for him to move, but he wasn't about to tell her that. So he stayed with Kitt, just like they always did. Michael usually rented a room so he had a place to shower and freshen up, but he always slept in Kitt's cabin.

No one questioned it. It had started long before the neurolink had been implemented, back when they thought they were going to lose each other and every second together mattered. Now they used it as a chance to devote every moment to each other, to give each other the kind of attention the neurolink demanded. In those few minutes before sleep overtook him, nothing existed except for Michael and Kitt, and Kitt savored every second of those minutes.

It was the main reason why Kitt wanted Michael to stay with Bonnie, if he stayed with anyone. Bonnie would understand, once they explained it to her. She loved Kitt the same as she loved Michael, just in a different way. She would allow them the time they needed. No other woman could ever do that.

Or at least, Kitt sorely hoped she would.

Lauren waited until well past midnight before making the call. She hoped Kitt had gone on standby and wouldn't be listening in. The last thing she wanted to do was tip the thing off.

A male voice answered her on the other line. _"Do you have it?"_

"We're going out to Derek Adams' residence tomorrow." she said quietly. "I'm taking them through the desert to get there. You'll have plenty of time to stage an ambush."

A pause. _"Would you rather stay with Knight or come with us?"_

"Stay. He was suspicious of me, but now he's starting to relax. If I stay here, I may be able to convince him to focus on the case. It will buy you more time to get as far away as you can."

The man chuckled. _"After all, that was why we took the girl."_ he said, sounding rather proud of himself. _"You'll be paid in full when we get the AI John promised us. Good-bye, Lauren."_

"Wait –" Lauren started to interrupt, to tell him about the girls, but he hung up on her. She stared at the phone for a moment, cursing under her breath. She glanced out the window one last time before settling in for the night. "Just how the heck are we supposed to separate them?" she muttered. "They're like twins themselves."


	7. Chapter 7

**chapter seven**

The drive was silent for the most part. Lauren seemed to be involved with something in her own mind, staring blankly out the window, and Michael and Kitt took full advantage of her silence. Michael's few attempts at conversation failed, and he chalked it up to her being indignant that he left her to sleep alone while he stayed with Kitt. He had no reason to think otherwise. Neither of them did.

The sun blazed hot over the desert road. Michael had his window down and for the most part was letting Kitt drive. He was simply enjoying the sun and wind, and Kitt was enjoying his company. Neither of them were particularly thinking about the case. There was no need. Once they reached the city where the father lived, then they would once again focus on the task at hand. At the moment, though, there was only each other through the link.

Lauren sat as still as she could, trying not to look suspicious. She doubted they even suspected anything. Oddly enough, they were able to lose themselves in their own thoughts so completely the outside world no longer existed. Lauren suspected there was something more going on between them. She had heard of neruolink technology, but as far as she was aware the most they had done with it was enable quadriplegics to control computer screens with their minds. She supposed FLAG could have done something to the technology and adapted it for AIs, but she doubted it. After all, that would put Kitt under Michael's control, and he valued his partner's identity far more than that.

Didn't he?

Alarm washed through Michael just before Kitt could get out a warning. "Michael!"

The Passive Laser Restraint System was activated immediately, pinning Michael and Lauren in place. A split second later, something hard and fast slammed into the driver's side of the Trans-Am. Kitt didn't stand a chance. The car rolled over and over as more rockets slammed into it. Someone cried out in pain, and it took Kitt a moment to realize it was him. A few seconds later, his cry was echoed by Michael as the car finally rolled to a stop.

Lauren was already pulling herself free as their attackers approached. On his side, badly dented and cringing in agony as some of his sensors were giving him grim results, there was nothing Kitt could do. He reached out for his partner. /Michael!/

No answer.

/Michael, please! You have to get out – you have to run!/

Slowly, Michael groaned. He didn't move his head, but reached out and placed a hand against Kitt's dash. The gesture was infinitely comforting, and Kitt felt himself relax into Michael's touch. /Not going anywhere, pal./ Michael murmured. /Got some steel cahonas to try and attack us like this./

/Try nothing. They've done it./ Kitt couldn't keep the tremor from his voice. /Michael, please, you have to get to safety. I can't protect you./

/Can't move even if I wanted to./ It wasn't a good sign that Michael wasn't speaking in complete sentences, although in his dazed state, he probably was only clinically aware of his injuries. Kitt had suffered human pain before, but this was different. This wasn't the result of controlled surgery, and he couldn't stop the fear from racing through him. /Be fine, Kitt. Promise./

/You'd better be./

Lauren met the older man just beside the damaged Kitt. "You could have warned me you were using rockets." she muttered, not bothering to brush the dust and filth from her clothes. "I could have braced myself or something."

"No need." the man said with a small smile. "The 2000 protected you very well, although I suspect that was merely a coincidence. It wanted to protect it's driver."

Lauren gave him a dirty look. "Now what?"

"Get Knight out." he said dismissively. "We'll take the 2000. Give us a five minute head start, and call for FLAG. They'll get you to safety." He kissed her on the top of the head, and she almost recoiled from him. "Do it, love."

It was a struggle, getting the now-unconscious Michael out of the driver's seat. Kitt didn't seem to inclined to let him go, but the laser restraint system was damaged beyond his repair. It kept flickering off, and Lauren was patient. She had Michael free from the car in five minutes.

Kitt stayed silent as two young men rolled him back onto his wheels and pushed him up onto a flatbed truck. They pulled a tarp over him, concealing him from sight, but his scanners could still penetrate that flimsy material. He could still see Michael, for all the good he was doing him. He watched as they pulled away, leaving Lauren and Michael to the mercies of the desert. Kitt felt his heart break.

_Michael . . . _

/---/

Bonnie thanked God above that Michael's injuries were not severe enough to warrant another trip to the hospital. She knew that as soon as he woke up, he was going to be after Kitt. The missing child would wait. As usual, everything took a second place to Kitt when the AI was in danger. She still remembered Michael fighting Devon the entire time when Kitt had lost his memory. Michael had wanted to go looking for Kitt and forget the mission. Devon had insisted Michael complete his task. Bonnie had to play referee between those two until Michael finally located Kitt.

It had been a hard few weeks. And that was only a taste of how things were to run from then on out. Nothing was going to stop him once he was on the warpath.

It was a miracle that Lauren wasn't any more injured than she was, but Bonnie didn't care about that. She was sitting by Michael's bed, waiting for him to wake. Something had gone horribly wrong, and she wanted to be there when it all hit the fan.

Devon entered Michael's room, followed closely by Lauren. "He should be waking up soon." he murmured. "Lauren can't tell me much of what happened – apparently everything was centered on the driver's side of the car. Hopefully Michael can tell us more."

"You do realize that Michael isn't going to let this go?" Bonnie whispered.

Devon nodded, a gleam of approval in his eyes. "I wouldn't expect him to."

"What about that girl?"

"I don't know."

Michael moaned as he shifted in the bed, eyes flickering a little before slowly opening. "Bonnie?"

"I'm here, Michael." She reached out and placed a hand on his forehead. He was burning with the beginnings of a fever, due to the stress on his body. "You need to rest."

Devon sat down on the other side of the bed. "Dear boy, what happened?"

Michael swallowed hard. His eyes flickered from Bonnie to Devon before settling on the ceiling between them. "Attacked. Someone – someone shot rockets at us or something. Hurt . . . Kitt really bad." Suddenly he sat straight up in the bed, his eyes wide with shock. "Kitt! We have to find Kitt!"


	8. Chapter 8

**chapter eight**

"Michael, you can't go anywhere right now." Bonnie protested, following him around the room as Michael hunted for his shirt. She could still see the bruises and lacerations from the attack cris-crossing his back and arms. Lauren hadn't looked half as bad, but Bonnie had chalked that up to her being on the wrong side of the car when he was hit. Michael grunted something, and Bonnie turned to Devon. "Please, talk some sense into him! He's got the beginnings of a fever as it is – if he goes out now, he might not come back!"

Devon eyed Michael thoughtfully. "If I order you to stay, what will you do?" he asked quietly.

"Ignore you and go anyway." Michael replied without hesitation. "No offense, Devon, but I won't leave Kitt behind like that. You know I can't."

"I know." Devon sighed as Michael finally found his shirt and pulled it on. It was still stained with dust and scorched from the rockets. "We don't know where he is. His homing beacon has been damaged, and we can't raise him with the comm. link. He could be anywhere right now. Would you at least wait until we find some sort of lead to go on?"

"No." Michael tied his shoes and straightened back up. He didn't bother trying to find his jacket – there was simply no time. The longer he waited the less chance he had of finding Kitt. There was no time to waste.

"We don't have any way to find him." Lauren said reasonably. "Besides, wouldn't your time be better spent finding Mandy? She's alone and scared right now, Michael – she might even be hurt or dead. Don't you want to find her?"

"I need Kitt." But at least he had stopped pacing, and Lauren held her breath. Was he considering the odds, or simply putting the pieces together? She hoped it was the former. "I need you guys to be quiet now. No matter what happens, don't say a word, understand?" He waited until all three of them nodded before closing his eyes. He reached inside himself, trying to find the link that bonded him with Kitt. The AI's end was blocked. Frowning, he pushed at it.

/Come on, Kitt. You aren't hiding that easily from me./

/Michael!/

Michael dropped to his knees in shock as Kitt's barrier dropped. His partner slammed into him, wrapping his essence around Michael's almost possessively. He could feel everything. Kitt's physical pain was as apparent to him now as Kitt's emotional distress. He had been afraid, so very afraid, that Michael hadn't made it. With his medical scanners down, there was no way to tell how damaged Michael was except through the link, and what Kitt had found wasn't promising. Now relief combated for space among the lingering doubts and anxiety. Michael hugged Kitt as best as he could. /It's okay, pal. I'm fine. Give me some credit, I'm harder to kill than that!/

/I thought they might have tried to finish you off./ Kitt admitted, pulling back just a bit. /You aren't in a hospital?/

/Not that hurt./ Michael reminded him gently. /Kitt – where are you? Can you tell me where you are?/

/25th and 6th in Deland./ Kitt responded promptly. /About a ten hour drive west from Foundation headquarters, if you're using a regular car. It's a very large garage of some sorts, but I believe it used to be an airplane hangar. Michael, they have Mandy here as well. She's being kept in one of the smaller rooms I believe is an office. And, Michael – they've mentioned Lauren./

Michael felt himself go cold. /How so?/

/As an ally./

Devon, Bonnie, and Lauren heard nothing of this. They didn't know the source of the fury in Michael's eyes when he finally got back to his feet. His gaze locked with Lauren's, and suddenly he shoved her against the wall and pinned her there.

Devon gasped in shock. "Michael!"

"Why?" Michael hissed, pushing harder on her shoulders. "Why would you set us up like that?"

"I needed the money." Lauren said, her voice quavering. "My little brother is sick – we needed something to cover the hospital bills."

"You kidnapped a little girl and hurt Kitt!" Michael was on a roll now, fury and disbelief mingling in his voice. "For a few hundred dollars, you tore two families apart. You're supposed to be a cop, Lauren! Cops don't do things like this, no matter how badly they need the money."

"Two families?" Lauren asked in disbelief. "How did I tear apart two families?"

Michael ignored her and turned his focus to Devon. "I know where Kitt is." he bit out. "Can I go get him now?"

Devon nodded. "How long?"

"Five days, tops. Give me enough time to get there, get Kitt and Mandy, and get out. If I'm not back after six days, come get me." He grabbed a slip of paper and scrawled the address down. His eyes locked with Devon's. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck." Devon said quietly.

"Wait!" Michael hesitated, glancing back at Bonnie. Her eyes were wide as comprehension dawned in her mind. "That's why you believed Ashley and Mandy. You can communicate with Kitt through the neruolink!" Michael nodded. Bonnie's jaw dropped. "When were you going to tell us, Michael? You shouldn't be able to do something like that. Something's gone wrong."

"Nothing has gone wrong." Michael said quietly. "We didn't tell anyone so we could prove that we can work together like this. We wanted this." He turned and walked out of the room, presumably to go find some means of transportation. Devon turned his attention to Lauren.

"You asked why two families." he said. Lauren nodded. "Because we are a family. Myself, Bonnie, Michael, and Kitt – we are all family to each other. You just tore away the one person who means the world to Michael, and you hurt my son. You had better hope things go well for them, because if they don't, things won't go well for you."

"Why does your boss want Kitt?" Bonnie demanded, her mind working furiously.

Lauren shrugged. "He said the driver Michael replaced had offered to sell it to him." she said. "When John died, then the deal went bad. He still wants his merchandise. He claims he's already paid for it."

"Wait a minute." Devon interrupted her. "Do you mean John Clay?"

"Yes."

Devon and Bonnie exchanged looks. "We should tell Michael." Bonnie murmured. Devon shook his head.

"We'll tell him when he gets back with Kitt." he decided. "The last thing I want is Michael going back and killing this boss to protect Kitt. The law wouldn't see it the same way we do."


	9. Chapter 9

**chapter nine**

The drive had been long and tedious, despite the constant conversation between Michael and Kitt. The AI was worried for his driver, and that came through loud and clear through the neurolink. Michael worked that much harder to assure Kitt that he was fine, and there was nothing to worry about. Not that Kitt believed him, but if Michael was trying to brush everything off, then things weren't quite as bad as they seemed. Either that or they were worse than they seemed, and Michael was just conscious enough to realize it and deliberately downplay the events. Still, it was an assurance for Kitt.

Michael was speaking in complete sentences now. That had to mean improvement, despite the fever that even now was rising. Michael may not have been put in the hospital by the attack, but he was going to work his way there at the rate he was going.

Nothing Kitt said was going to stop him, though. And Kitt knew the same would hold true if their roles were reversed.

Michael parked the car he had taken from the Foundation about six miles outside of Deland and took a bus the rest of the way. Luckily for him, the bus was still full despite the late hour, and he kept his head down to avoid eye contact with the driver. His recent encounters with the law were still fresh in his mind. Hopefully he could do this without having to kill anyone, but past experience had shown a side of him he hadn't been aware existed.

He would kill for Kitt. There was simply no question about it, not anymore. Once, there had been doubt. After all, Kitt could be repaired and rebuilt, like the acid pit had proven. But the acid pit had also proven something else. The fiery hate that burned through Michael when he saw Kitt fall, when he realized he couldn't protect his best friend, revealed so much more than Michael had ever anticipated. So the question was no longer valid. It was a fact.

The moon was rising over the busy city streets as Michael set to work. There were no security cameras, and for that he was glad. One less obstacle to worry about. He found a side door and easily picked the lock, despite the fact that his hands were starting to shake. Ignoring the trembling, he opened the door and slid into the shadows.

Kitt had been right. This place was a renovated aircraft hangar. The outside hallway that Michael was currently standing in had several office doors off to the left, and the right was simply bare wall. He snuck quietly along, trying to find a doorway on the right hand side. If he was right, then that door would open up into the hangar area itself, and that was where Kitt would be.

Before he did that, there was something else to take care of. /Kitt, do you know which office Mandy is being held in?/ he asked.

Kitt seemed to think that one over, and Michael recognized the silence as Kitt's scanners went to work. /She's three doors in front of you./ he said quietly. /Michael, my medical scanners -/

/Don't worry about it./ Michael reassured him. /Once I get to you, you can take over, and I'll get some rest. I promise./

/You'd better./

Kitt's silence wasn't promising. He wasn't going to get out of this one without a severe lecture. Michael almost smiled at the thought.

He reached the door in question and quickly picked the lock. His hands were starting to steady themselves, and he recognized the strength his own power of will was giving him. He would not abandon Kitt. He could not. Slowly, he opened the door and peeked inside.

Mandy was sitting by the far wall, her head resting on her knees as she stared forlornly at him. "I don't know you." she whispered.

Michael nodded. "But I know you." he whispered back. "And I know Ashley. Tell her Michael's got you now. You're safe." He saw Mandy's eyes brighten, and he knew he had earned her trust. She willingly went to him, and he picked her up and let her latch onto his back, arms around his neck and legs wrapped around his waist. Monkey-style, his dad always called it. Michael used to do that with his dad a long time ago.

He shook the thoughts away. /Is there a doorway leading from this hallway to the hangar?/

A pause. /Yes, but it's guarded. There are two men, but neither are armed. As far as they're aware, only Mandy is down there./

Michael smiled tightly. /Now Mandy is with me./ he assured his partner. /And we'll be with you in just a moment./

/Please be careful./ Kitt meant to make it a command, but it sounded more like a plea. Michael sent comfort and reassurance through the link, and in turn Kitt sent his affection and trust.

Michael got to the door and gently set Mandy down. "All right. I am going to open this door and knock down the guards on the other side." he told her quietly. She nodded. "As soon as I open the door, I want you to run across the room to the black car and get in the passenger's side. The door will open for you. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir." she whispered. "What if there's more than one black car?"

"Kitt will flash his lights at you."

Mandy tilted her head to the side. "His name's Kitt?"

Michael couldn't help but grin. "Yeah. On the count of three, okay?" Once again she nodded, and Michael placed his hand on the knob. He was starting to shake again, and he could only hope that he would have the strength for this. "One – two – three!"

On three he slammed the door open, catching the first guard in the side of the head. He staggered back against the wall, and Mandy shot forward as fast as her small legs could carry her. Kitt flashed his headlights at her, and she quickly changed course and almost barreled into his fender. Michael charged the other guard before he could bring his gun to bear on the small child, grabbing the barrel and pulling it down towards the ground. The weapon exploded in his hands, but Michael didn't let go. He slammed his elbow into the side of the man's head, and he dropped like a stone.

The other guard had recovered enough to fire off a few rounds at Mandy just as she got into the car. Kitt slammed the door shut and the bullets bounced harmlessly off his shell. Michael kicked him in the ribs, dropping the man to his knees. Another well placed blow to the head, and both guards were neutralized.

Michael didn't have the chance to race for safety. There was the sound of a gun being cocked, and Michael slowly turned towards it.

On the other side of Kitt, but safely out of his range, was the last man Michael had ever expected to see again. He smiled unpleasantly. "I see Lauren failed. You are a hard man to kill, Michael Knight."

His eyes narrowing in anger, Michael spat out his response. "Still using women to do your dirty work. You haven't changed at all, Cameron Zachary."


	10. Chapter 10

**chapter ten**

Kitt froze in shock. It couldn't be. That man – the same man who had tried to kill Michael before and take Kitt away from his driver – that man was still here? Why wasn't he in jail, or better yet, dead? It was a horrible thought, but Kitt wasn't exactly concerned with it. After all, he could sense the same thoughts and emotions racing through Michael. The man was tense and angry, and even Kitt shuddered at the amount of pure hatred running through him.

Michael could feel Kitt's confusion, but there really was no time to explain. Maybe later, when they were safe and there was no longer a threat, but not here and now. He slowly straightened, clenching his shaking hands into fists. He didn't need a doctor to tell him his fever was rising. By the time they got out of this one, Kitt would have to drive them home. Michael would be unconscious.

"Why?" he demanded, taking a step forward. Kitt's fear shot forward, but Michael sent back encouragement. He had a plan, after all. "Why all this trouble just to get to us?"

"The idea was to keep you busy looking for the girl." Cameron said easily. "I never thought Devon Miles would place his technology above the life of an innocent. Maybe he's a businessman after all."

"I hate to burst your bubble," Michael sneered, taking another step forward, "but Devon had nothing to do with this. Devon could have told me to keep searching for the girl, and I still would have come for Kitt. You know that, though, don't you?"

"I'll admit I've been watching you for quite some time." Cameron said calmly. "First through John, and then through my source at the Foundation. Lauren also proved quite helpful, although I don't think she quite believed me about the supercar until she saw it for herself. It is magnificent, though." He seemed to sigh at that. "You'll have to show me how you control it."

/Arrogant little schmuck, isn't he?/ Michael muttered to Kitt. Aloud, he added, "I don't control Kitt. And he's not an _it._"

Cameron gave him an odd look. "So John was right about that one too." he murmured. "I thought he was exaggerating a little when he told me about your obsession with the car. Then again, I guess Zerek was right as well."

Once again, Michael felt himself go cold. "What about Zerek?" he asked quietly, taking another step forward. He was so close now. One more step, and he'd be within range. If he could keep Cameron talking long enough, then they had it made. "Did you hire him as well?"

"Actually, Zerek was an old friend of mine." Cameron explained, gesturing with the gun. "He told me that he and Coltrane had been hired by John. Obviously, John never knew. If he did, he might have been more careful about his alliances."

He was so very confident, Michael realized with disgust. There was something wrong with this situation. /Kitt, where are his guards?/ he asked.

/There are two behind you in an office taking aim./ Kitt said tightly, and Michael felt his fear. /There is a third one to the left behind Cameron, right outside of your line of vision./

/Think you can do something to distract them?/

/Anything in particular in mind?/

/No./

/Not a problem then./ Kitt replied easily, some of his fear starting to fade. He was catching on to what Michael had in mind. /On your mark./

Michael didn't wait for Cameron to begin speaking again. As soon as his mouth opened, he struck, grabbing Cameron's gun and slamming his knee into the man's gut. Cameron gasped in pain, but like last time, he was quick to recover. Michael kept up his assault, pounding the man with knees and elbows thrown to every part of Cameron's body that he could reach without letting go of the gun. If he had to pound Cameron within an inch of his life, so be it. He would do it gladly.

Behind him, Kitt fired up the engine and activated the Passive Laser Restraint system. It wasn't much good with all the damage he had sustained, but it was worth something. "Hold on." he told Mandy. She nodded tightly, her eyes wide in shock and horror. Kitt spun out, tearing through the chains that held him down as he raced towards the two guards in the back. Executing a quick right hand turn, he tore through the wall like wet tissue paper, bringing the ceiling down on the two inside. He could hear their screams as he shot away, but at least they were still alive. Trapped and effectively neutralized, but alive. That was worth something.

Kitt hated killing.

Suddenly Cameron gained the upper hand, flipping Michael over his shoulder and slamming the injured man into the ground. Michael cried out in pain, and for a moment, Kitt faltered. Cameron twisted his hand free and stood over Michael, gun aimed directly at the man's chest. Abandoning his assault on the guards – the one in the corner had already dropped his weapon and fled anyway – Kitt spun around again and charged towards Cameron.

The man raised his gun, preparing to fire at Kitt. Terror and horror shot through Michael and he took advantage of Cameron's distraction, flipped himself back on his feet and decked Cameron in the face. He could feel the satisfying snap of cartilage as he broke Cameron's nose, making blood pour down his face.

Just as Cameron fired off three shots, all over Michael's shoulder. The first grazed his skin, not that he really noticed. The other two were right on the mark, and Michael almost dropped as he felt Kitt's pain shoot through him. Something was wrong with the MBS – Kitt had been shot before, and never had it hurt.

As Cameron staggered back, Michael grabbed the gun, twisted it from Cameron's hands, and clubbed him over the head with it. Cameron dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Michael!" Kitt called out, skidding to a halt just beside his driver. He was only dimly aware that his voice was shaking. "Michael, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Kitt." Michael said. His voice sounded distant to him. He reached down and grabbed Cameron, flipping him onto his stomach. Wishing briefly he had a rope, or handcuffs, he pulled off Cameron's jacket and tied it around the man's wrists. It wasn't very effective, he knew. Given enough time and determination, Cameron would wiggle his way free. But Michael wasn't planning on giving him that time. "Call the cops, Kitt. Tell them where to find this scumbag."

"Certainly." The driver's door popped open, and Michael gratefully sank inside. Kitt closed the door, and an overwhelming sense of safety enveloped him. Michael smiled as he weakly pressed his hand against the dash.

/Love you, Kitt./

/Love you too, Mi./

In the passenger's seat, Mandy watched the unconscious man. "Will he be all right, Kitt?" she asked anxiously.

Kitt chuckled tiredly as he started the engine and pulled out of the hangar. "He'll be just fine, Mandy." he assured her. "Did you tell your sister you're coming home?"

"Yep!" she said with a grin. "Ashley and Momma will be waiting for us at the flag."

Kitt couldn't help but laugh at that. It was a laugh of relief as much as one of amusement. Things were going to be okay again, at least for a while.

/---/

AN: Wow, this story is almost at an end. One more chapter, where I will answer some questions that will inevitably rise from this chapter, and this story will reach a close. There are plans for a sequel, but not for a while yet. I need to finish my other stories first. Review, and I'll pop the next chapter out that much faster!


	11. Chapter 11

**chapter eleven**

Devon stood beside Michael as they watched Bonnie and a few other techs work their magic on Kitt. He had been badly damaged in the attack, but the real threat was the bullet that went through his grill and hit the engine. It came so very close to striking the CPU, but thankfully luck was on their side. Devon cleared his throat. Michael tilted his head to the side to show he was listening. "Cameron had six guards." he said quietly. "We got five of them, the three you took out and two that Kitt trapped. The sixth one vanished without a trace, as did the woman Mandy says she saw. Cameron hasn't told us who she is yet."

Michael nodded absently. "What about Lauren?"

"It was just as she said it was." Devon said, his voice even softer than before. "Her brother has leukemia, and their insurance won't cover all the medical bills. The amount Cameron offered her would have given her brother the help he needed."

"No excuse." Michael whispered.

"No, it's not." Devon agreed. "But it's understandable." He hesitated a moment. "Are you going to stand here until they finish Kitt? You know Bonnie will tell you when everything is done."

Michael shook his head. "I can't feel him, Devon." he said, and it hurt the old man to hear the fear in Michael's voice. "I know why – I know he's not gone – but I have to see him. To remind myself. You understand, right?"

Devon nodded. "I do." Bonnie had been forced to shut down Kitt's CPU so she could check for any programming damages. Cameron had been after the technology as much as he was after revenge. When Bonnie shut Kitt down, she had also shut down the neurolink. Devon had been glad they had told Michael and Kitt what needed to be done. Michael's reaction was almost frightening.

Almost. He put his hand on Michael's shoulder, as close as he could come to a comforting gesture. He could still see the fever in Michael's eyes, but the young man refused to rest. He wasn't allowed with Kitt. The room needed to stay static free. So instead he stayed just outside the room, watching through the window. At least he was up and moving. Frankly, Devon was surprised Kitt hadn't ripped Michael a new one for staging a rescue mission in his condition.

"Kitt will be all right."

"I know." Michael flashed him a tired smile. "I'm just – I should have seen it." He leaned against the glass window, his breath fogging up the view. "Cameron Zachary. Who else would have been so determined to take Kitt from us? I should have known the minute Loren came into the picture." He hesitated. "What's going to happen to her?"

"I'm not sure." Devon replied honestly. "I haven't told anyone what happened. I wanted to talk that over with you and Kitt first."

"She could have killed us."

"You would have died for a good cause."

Michael couldn't help but laugh at that. "Real assuring." he shot back with a grin. Suddenly, he frowned. "Devon, Zachary needed more men than just what he had. Heck, he had more people than that when he attacked us."

"I know." Devon assured him. "We can't seem to track down the woman or his missing guard, but we figure sooner or later they'll show back up."

"You and Agent Freeman?"

"Yes. He said to thank you for not killing them this time."

"Tell him I'm happy to oblige." came the dry response. Suddenly his head shot up, and a relieved smile crossed his face. Bonnie had reactivated Kitt. He reached across the link to his partner, feeling the emptiness inside fade away. /Are you all right?/

/I could be asking you the same thing./ Kitt shot back, and Michael could hear the familiar exasperation in his voice. /Honestly, what are you doing out of bed? You do realize you have a 101.5 fever, right?/

Michael laughed aloud, making Devon smile. /Nice to have you back, Kitt./ he teased. /You may now exit mother bear mode. It's down to 99.9./

/Still, you should be resting./

/I'll rest when I can./

Devon was watching him intently. "Is Kitt awake?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. Only Kitt had ever been able to make Michael laugh like that. Michael nodded, already in a better mood. Bonnie turned to glance at the window, and Michael grinned at her. He motioned coming in, and she shook her head. He frowned, but didn't say anything. Devon did. "The room still needs to be clean." he reminded Michael.

The driver shook his head. "I know. I just really don't like this."

"You need to get some rest." Devon said, taking note of the way Michael was swaying on his feet. Michael shook his head again.

"Do you know the last time I actually slept in my room?" he asked.

"I believe it was during the Coltrane case." Devon said.

"Before that actually. During that case, Kitt and I started staying together. I never told you, but someone bugged my room. We never could figure out who did it, although now I suspect it was Bonnie's mentor. I started staying with Kitt after that." He glanced over at Devon. "You're not mad?"

"No. Just surprised." Devon answered honestly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I wasn't even sure that's what it was." Michael answered. "I didn't want to freak you out on a maybe." Bonnie motioned for Michael to come inside, and with a happy smile he walked into the room. Bonnie said something to him, he laughed, and Bonnie and the techs left. Devon smiled at Bonnie as she came to stand beside him.

"Is Kitt all right?" Devon asked.

Bonnie nodded. "He will be now. The first thing he did when I woke him up was ask for Michael." She shook her head. "I have to admit, I'm jealous."

"Why is that?"

"Because Kitt isn't my baby anymore. He belongs with Michael now."

In the room, Michael slid into the driver's seat. "Looking good, buddy." he said with an easy grin. "Bonnie work all the dents out?"

"Those dents, as you put it, would have blown another car to pieces." Kitt shot back, warmth and amusement clear in his voice even without the link. "However, I am fine. I'm glad you are, too."

"Just a few bumps and bruises." Michael assured him, pressing his hand against the dash. "I actually had to sleep in my own room the past few days."

"A few days?" Kitt actually sounded shocked. "I was asleep that long?"

"Yeah." Michael hooked his fingers on the wheel and squeezed gently, as close as he could come to a physical hug. "You had me worried, pal. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd survive." Kitt said calmly.

"I don't know about that anymore. I really don't." He hesitated. Kitt could feel his confusion and fear, and he knew his own emotions echoed his driver's. The link had opened up a whole new level of their relationship, and neither were too sure what to do with it. It was wrong to run away, but at the same time, stepping forward scared them both. Kitt reached out to him, and Michael accepted the embrace. "How about this?" his driver said suddenly. "Let's never find out, all right?"

"Agreed." Kitt said. He didn't say it, but Michael knew that Kitt felt the same. No one would ever think twice about it though. After all, supposedly Kitt was programmed that way.

Distantly, Michael wondered what everyone would do when they learned that Kitt's programming had changed on its own. He wondered if he was the only one who knew it.

For the moment, though, he put all thoughts of changing programming, missing bodyguards, and evil plots from his mind. For the moment, there was only him and Kitt, as close as they could be and closer than anyone could ever understand.

They would always be that close. Always.

**The End**

An: Woo! Another story down! Never fear – the Anam Cara series is not over. I have been requested a prequel to this series, so I'm going to start working on that one next. Be on the lookout for **Black Friday**, the story of what happened in the Coltrane case, and before all this mess started. There will also be another story that takes place after this one, but I'm going to do the prequel first. So drop me a line and I remain yours truly,

Shadowblade-tara


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